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1981 Lancashire County Council Election

←  1977 7 May 1981 (1981-05-07) 1985 →
All 99 seats on Lancashire County Council 50 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Labour Conservative Liberal Last election 12 seats, 28.0 % 83 seats, 61.7 % 1 seat, 6.8 % Seats after 53 38 6 Seat change 41 45 5 Popular vote 191,885 184,410 42,304 Percentage 44.4 % 42.7 % 9.8 % Swing 16.4 ppt 19.0 ppt 3.0 ppt
Leader before election Conservative Elected Leader Labour

Elections were held to Lancashire County Council as part of the wider 1981 United Kingdom local elections and under new division boundaries. ^[1] Any multi-member wards were abolished and each of 99 wards returned one councillor in this election. The election saw a significant Labour recovery from the previous, along with a Conservative fall, leading Labour to gain control of the council for the first time in its history.

Results

1981 Lancashire County Council elections
Party		This election			Full council			This election
		Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Labour	53	41	53.5		53	53.5	191,885	44.4	16.4
	Conservative	38	45	38.4		38	38.4	184,410	42.7	19.0
	Liberal	6	5	6.1		6	6.1	42,304	9.8	3.0
	Residents	2	2	2.0		2	2.0	8,347	1.9	1.7
	Independent	0		0		0	0	3,824 [n 1]	0.9	0.2
	Workers Revolutionary	0	NEW	0		0	0	473	0.1	NEW
	Green	0	NEW	0		0	0	369 [n 2]	0.1	NEW
	SDP	0	NEW	0		0	0	357	0.1	NEW
	National Front	0		0		0	0	109	0.0	1.7
	Communist	0		0		0	0	85	0.0	2.4

53 38 6 2
Party		Seats
	Labour	53
	Conservatives	38
	Liberals	6
	Residents	2

Ward Results

Accrington Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C. Westall	1,950	66.6	N/A [n 3]
	Conservative	W. Parkinson	621	21.2
	SDP	J. Pickup	357	12.2
Majority			1329	45.4

Accrington South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Keeley	2,522	61.0
	Conservative	M. Martin	1613	39.0
Majority			909	22.0

Alexandra & Victoria

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	P. Hall	1,973	57.2
	Conservative	K. Hancock	1476	42.8
Majority			497	14.4

Amounderness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	E. Mallalieu	1,982	53.7
	Labour	W. Jones	1227	33.2
	Liberal	D. Penswick	484	13.1
Majority			755	20.4

Anchorsholme & Norbreck

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	L. Broughton	2,382	52.1
	Labour	R. Lewis	914	20.0
	Liberal	O. Driver	848	18.6
	Residents association	J. Berry	424	9.3
Majority			1468	32.1

Bacup

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	P. Navin	2,471	56.4
	Conservative	D. Wood	1911	43.6
Majority			560	12.8

Bank Top & Brookhouse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	L. Proos	3,161	84.0
	Conservative	D. Harwood	604	16.0
Majority			2557	67.9

Billinge & Revidge

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	D. Murray	2,498	67.0
	Labour	S. Harrington	1229	33.0
Majority			1269	34.0

Bispham & Ingthorpe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T. Percival	2,071	46.9
	Labour	D. Wheeldon	1664	37.7
	Liberal	M. Cotton	679	15.4
Majority			407	9.2

Brownhill & Pleckgate

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	M. Higginson	2,071	43.1
	Conservative	T. Marsden	1880	39.2
	Liberal	F. Beetham	850	17.7
Majority			191	4.0

Brunswick & Claremont

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Kirton	2,561	61.6
	Conservative	M. Smith	1596	38.4
Majority			965	23.2

Burnley Central East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Booth	3,420	76.5
	Conservative	L. Bullock	1051	23.5
Majority			2369	53.0

Burnley Central West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Maekin	2,938	57.2
	Conservative	M. Tate	2194	42.8
Majority			744	14.5

Burnley North East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	I. Cooney	2,809	52.5
	Conservative	F. Brown	1514	28.3
	Liberal	J. Davey	1030	19.2
Majority			1295	24.2

Burnley Rural

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C. Platt	2,469	53.3
	Conservative	J. Wyld	2165	46.7
Majority			304	6.6

Burnley South West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Keller	2,850	63.9
	Conservative	J. Howarth	781	17.5
	Liberal	S. Parksinson	765	17.1
	Workers Revolutionary	R. Waring	65	1.5
Majority			2069	46.4

Burnley West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Entwistle	2,883	53.1
	Conservative	J. Brown	2546	46.9
Majority			337	6.2

Cathedral & Green Bank

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	H. White	3,119	83.4
	Conservative	M. Tappenden-Cousins	619	16.6
Majority			2500	66.9

Chorley East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Yates	2,918	61.2
	Conservative	A. Crompton	1348	28.3
	Liberal	C. Jones	503	10.5
Majority			1570	32.9

Chorley North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Glynn	1,777	44.7
	Labour	R. Hubbold	1486	37.4
	Liberal	F. Wilson	708	17.8
Majority			291	7.3

Chorley Rural East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Case	2,362	49.3
	Labour	J. Nuttall	1688	35.3
	Liberal	R. Yates	583	12.2
	Green	E. Coulston	155	3.2
Majority			674	14.1

Chorley Rural North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Ambrose	2,647	54.5
	Labour	F. Higson	1859	38.3
	Independent ratepayer	G. Butler	348	7.2
Majority			788	7.2

Chorley Rural West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Moorcroft	2,734	61.0
	Labour	L. Fishman	1750	39.0
Majority			984	21.9

Chorley West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	P. Deady	3,704	72.6
	Conservative	S. Freeland	1395	27.4
Majority			2309	45.3

Church & Accrington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	L. Dickinson	3,105	62.3
	Conservative	H. Taylor	1879	37.7
Majority			1226	24.6

Cleveleys

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	F. Townend	2,346	64.9
	Labour	S. Delaney	809	22.4
	Liberal	J. Simpson	460	12.7
Majority			1537	42.5

Clifton & Marton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Turton	2,401	54.2
	Conservative	J. Metcalf	2029	45.8
Majority			372	8.4

Clitheroe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	C. Chatburn	1,780	41.9
	Labour	W. Maunders	1297	30.5
	Liberal	C. Hopwood	1170	27.5
Majority			483	11.4

Colne

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	A. Greaves	2,739	48.1
	Conservative	A. Fraser	1545	27.2
	Labour	H. Simpson	1406	24.7
Majority			1194	21.0

Darwen South & Turton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	C. Grills	2,229	57.4
	Conservative	W. Birch	1654	42.6
Majority			575	14.8

Earcroft & West Rural

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Bland	1,786	53.8
	Labour	A. Emery	1536	46.2
Majority			250	7.5

Ewood & Higher Croft

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Bury	2,714	78.1
	Conservative	P. Hough	762	21.9
Majority			1952	56.2

Foxhall & Talbot

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Allcock	1,493	46.3
	Conservative	J. Battersby	1301	40.3
	Liberal	C. Penswick	431	13.4
Majority			192	6.0

Fylde East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Spencer	2,117	52.4
	Residents association	J. Payne	1103	27.3
	Labour	P. Simpson	821	20.3
Majority			1014	25.1

Fylde West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Bradley	1,997	57.1
	Independent	G. Bamber	1034	29.6
	Labour	L. Dixon	464	13.3
Majority			963	27.6

Garstang

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Fitzherbert-Brockholes	2,728	68.9
	Liberal	J. Busby	825	20.8
	Labour	B. Moreland	406	10.3
Majority			1903	48.1

Great Harwood

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Slynn	2,433	56.1
	Conservative	J. Hall	1904	43.9
Majority			529	12.2

Greenlands & Warbreck

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Jacobs	1,842	45.9
	Liberal	A. Heyworth	1117	27.8
	Labour	J. Readman	951	23.7
	Green	M. Palmer	105	2.6
Majority			725	18.1

Haslingden

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Hatton	3,346	54.4
	Conservative	G. Woodcock	2805	45.6
Majority			541	8.8

Hawes Side & Tyldesley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. McCrae	2,090	52.8
	Conservative	H. Hunt	1868	47.2
Majority			222	5.6

Hesketh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Aspden	2,482	54.1
	Conservative	E. Funk	1412	30.8
	Liberal	J. Rogers	696	15.2
Majority			1070	23.3

Heysham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Quick	2,296	43.4
	Labour	A. Garbett	2022	38.3
	Liberal	H. Steel	967	18.3
Majority			274	5.2

Highfield & Stanley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. Jackson	1,907	51.4
	Conservative	G. Heap	1800	48.6
Majority			107	2.9

Hillhouse

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	C. Ashworth	2,018	48.6
	Labour	W. Goldsmith	1752	42.2
	Liberal	N. Scullion	378	9.1
Majority			266	6.4

Lancaster City

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Clark	2,312	57.6
	Conservative	D. Skyes	1699	42.4
Majority			613	15.3

Lancaster East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R. Henig	3,221	69.7
	Conservative	A. Morris	1401	30.3
Majority			1820	39.4

Lancaster Rural Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W. Brown	2,223	56.4
	Liberal	R. Fenton	1200	30.5
	Labour	S. Robertson	516	13.1
Majority			1023	26.0

Lancaster Rural North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Bates	2,266	53.5
	Liberal	P. Wooff	1130	26.7
	Labour	R. Rye	837	19.8
Majority			1136	26.8

Lancaster Rural South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Entwistle	2,123	40.5
	Liberal	D. Hardy	1603	30.6
	Labour	J. Yates	1517	28.9
Majority			1136	26.8

Layton & Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	S. Wright	2,172	49.0
	Conservative	M. Laye	1451	32.8
	Liberal	B. Morris	697	15.7
	National Front	A. Hanson	109	2.5
Majority			721	16.3

Longridge

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	D. Coulston	3,080	72.7
	Labour	D. Roebuck	1154	27.3
Majority			1926	45.5

Lytham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Residents association	J. Wilding	1,941	43.8
	Conservative	G. Caldwell	1771	40.0
	Labour	N. Horridge	721	16.3
Majority			170	3.8

Marine

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	N. Walsh	1,974	48.9
	Conservative	K. Storey	1338	33.2
	Independent social democrat	S. Bate	722	17.9
Majority			636	15.8

Morecambe East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Robinson	2,833	65.5
	Labour	J. O'Donnell	1492	34.5
Majority			1341	31.0

Morecambe West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Stanley	2,139	51.9
	Conservative	K. Brook	1985	48.1
Majority			154	3.7

Nelson

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. French	3,499	63.4
	Conservative	D. Rigby	1197	21.7
	Liberal	P. Berry	823	14.9
Majority			2302	41.7

Ormskirk

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H. Ballance	2,578	53.6
	Labour	A. Williams	2234	46.4
Majority			344	7.1

Oswaldtwistle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Neville	2,112	47.4
	Conservative	T. Renshaw	1940	43.6
	Independent	I. Marsden	401	9.0
Majority			172	3.9

Pendle East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W. Sargeant	2,004	47.0
	Conservative	W. Blackham	1452	34.0
	Labour	R. Dobney	809	19.0
Majority			552	12.9

Pendle South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	N. Taylor	3,034	51.3
	Liberal	J. White	1568	26.5
	Conservative	C. Kemp	1314	22.2
Majority			1466	24.8

Pendle West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	K. Sumner-Clough	2,407	49.7
	Labour	K. Shore	1675	34.6
	Liberal	D. Hewitt	759	15.7
Majority			732	15.1

Poulton-Le-Fylde

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	V. Scrine	2,763	58.6
	Labour	M. Wheatley	1242	26.4
	Independent conservative	F. Lofthouse	707	15.0
Majority			1521	32.3

Preston Central East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. Nelson	3,374	72.0
	Conservative	G. Wilkins	1311	28.0
Majority			2063	44.0

Preston Central West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	I. Short	2,081	44.0
	Conservative	J. McGrath	2063	43.6
	Liberal	J. Hanney	585	12.4
Majority			18	0.4

Preston East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Farrington	3,558	76.7
	Conservative	P. Worrall	1079	23.3
Majority			2479	53.5

Preston North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Horam	2,473	62.0
	Liberal	B. Moore	872	21.9
	Labour	A. Richardson	643	16.1
Majority			1601	40.1

Preston Rural East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T. Croft	3,441	75.6
	Labour	Oldcorn H.	1108	24.4
Majority			2333	51.3

Preston Rural West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	P. Clegg	2,066	48.1
	Labour	H. Parker	1149	26.8
	Liberal	J. Wright	1078	25.1
Majority			917	21.4

Preston South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Wegg	3,216	75.3
	Conservative	J. Bosson	910	21.3
	Workers Revolutionary	V. Stephens	146	3.4
Majority			2306	54.0

Preston South West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	F. McGrath	2,948	62.0
	Conservative	E. Kerr	1016	21.4
	Liberal	P. Hulse	794	16.7
Majority			1932	40.6

Preston West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Higney	2,329	48.1
	Conservative	A. Scarsbrook	1729	35.7
	Liberal	A. Carmichael	786	16.2
Majority			600	12.4

Queens Park & Shadsworth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Smith	2,439	70.6
	Liberal	H. Dickinson	531	15.4
	Conservative	A. Salmon	485	14.0
Majority			1908	55.2

Ribble Valley North East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Watson	3,163	74.4
	Labour	A. Barton	1090	25.6
Majority			2073	48.7

Ribble Valley South West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Nickson	2,413	68.0
	Labour	D. Alber	589	16.6
	Independent	F. Ellis	546	15.4
Majority			1824	51.4

Rishton Clayton Altham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	S. Mercer	2,351	50.1
	Conservative	P. Galbraith	2341	49.9
Majority			10	0.2

Rossendale East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	P. Coward	2,340	54.9
	Conservative	A. King	1919	45.1
Majority			421	9.9

Rossendale West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Bland	2,938	56.9
	Conservative	M. Ingham	2227	43.1
Majority			711	13.8

Skelmersdale Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	L. Ellman	2,556	90.7
	Workers Revolutionary	J. Simons	262	9.3
Majority			2294	81.4

Skelmersdale East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Prunty	2,709	59.5
	Conservative	T. Baxter	1761	38.7
	Communist	T. Aldridge	85	1.9
Majority			948	20.8

Skelmersdale West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	C. Cheetham	2,690	81.8
	Conservative	S. Huyton	598	18.2
Majority			2092	63.6

Skerton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Jones	3,271	68.1
	Conservative	J. Taylor	1531	31.9
Majority			1740	36.2

South Ribble Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	M. Lyons	1,854	54.2
	Conservative	R. Charnley	1568	45.8
Majority			286	8.4

South Ribble East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T. Sharratt	2,029	53.3
	Conservative	R. Welham	1781	46.7
Majority			248	6.5

South Ribble North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	G. Davies	2,501	52.8
	Conservative	G. Woods	2232	47.2
Majority			269	5.7

South Ribble North West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W. Winn	2,987	68.7
	Labour	D. King	1359	31.3
Majority			1628	37.5

South Ribble South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	N. Orrell	2,438	46.6
	Labour	L. Day	1467	28.0
	Conservative	W. Jackson	1263	24.1
	Independent	W. Lamb	66	1.3
Majority			971	18.6

South Ribble South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	N. Orrell	2,438	46.6
	Labour	L. Day	1467	28.0
	Conservative	W. Jackson	1263	24.1
	Independent	W. Lamb	66	1.3
Majority			971	18.6

South Ribble South West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Haigh	3,448	67.2
	Conservative	R. Smith	891	17.4
	Liberal	D. Golden	795	15.5
Majority			2557	58.9

South Ribble West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Jenksinson	2,080	59.3
	Liberal	M. Roper	982	28.0
	Labour	G. Nicholson	446	12.7
Majority			1098	31.3

Squires Gate & Waterloo

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	D. Hanson	2,191	65.6
	Labour	G. Cotton	1147	34.4
Majority			1044	31.3

St Annes North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Residents association	J. Lane	2,897	58.1
	Conservative	J. Gouldbourn	1565	31.4
	Labour	A. Calder	333	6.7
	Green	G. Dawson	109	2.2
	National Front	W. Smith	80	1.6
Majority			1332	26.7

St Annes South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T. Carter	2,003	44.6
	Residents association	J. Parkinson	1982	44.1
	Labour	B. Cowap	506	11.3
Majority			31	0.5

Sudell & Sunnyhurst

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	P. Browne	1,719	44.3
	Labour	G. Toole	1267	33.4
	Conservative	R. Wood	808	21.3
Majority			452	11.9

West Craven

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D. Whipp	2,904	42.4
	Conservative	J. Maisey	2137	31.2
	Labour	R. Macsween	1813	26.5
Majority			767	11.2

West Lancashire East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Aspinwall	3,165	62.7
	Labour	R. Lennon	1881	37.3
Majority			1284	25.4

West Lancashire North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	S. Taylor	2,899	73.1
	Labour	P. Wynn	1066	26.9
Majority			1833	46.2

West Lancashire South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Kirby	2,889	77.6
	Labour	B. Brown	833	22.4
Majority			2056	55.2

Whitworth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E. Kershaw	2,120	51.5
	Conservative	M. Crabtree	1998	48.5
Majority			122	3.0

Wyre Side

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	D. Elletson	2,523	56.1
	Liberal	L. Moat	1574	35.0
	Labour	H. Brooke	401	8.9
Majority			949	21.1

Notes

References

• The Elections Centre, Lancashire County Council Election Results 1973-2009 (PDF)

External links

• Lancashire Council